The Secret Life Of Vernon J Dursley
by Jade Star
Summary: A chance encounter for Harry and his friends while helping his aunt and uncle spring clean leads to some family secrets. Including why one Vernon Dursley hates the magical world- because he was once part of it. Please review.
1. The Box In The Attic

_ Summer 1998, Number Four Privet Drive_

Harry Potter grunted with the strain of Ron's weight, as he struggled to push Ron further up into the impossibly narrow shelf of the attic.

"Merlin Ron!" Harry panted, Ron's sneaker dislodging Harry's glasses from his face leaving him nearly completely blind. "Hurry up mate!"

"C- Can't see why we c- can't use magic 'Arry!" Ron grumbled, a large cloud of dust filling his nose and throat as he scrambled for the last few remaining boxes tucked neatly away in the far corner of the shelf.

Harry adjusted his position beneath Ron, gathering a deep breathe. "You know Petunia will go completely mental if we use magic. W- Where's Hermione?"

"Orgazizing books downstairs with Ginny!" Ron rasped, finally seizing the boxes wit h a final push from his best mate. "Got them- Oh fu-!"

Harry accidently lost his footing, sending both boys, the boxes, and a unseemingly large cloud of dust raining down on top of them. Limbs akimbo, covered in dust and the contents scattered all over the floor, Harry and Ron dentangled themselves, hacking and coughing violently.

"What the bloody hell happened?"

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. Hermione and Ginny took one look at the dust covered boys and struggled to suppress their laughter. Ron turned red, and began picking up the discarded bits of old clothing and the like.

"Damn… can't see…" Harry wheezed, lungs still full of the dust. Ginny smiled sympathetically and reached down, picked up then handed Harry his glasses.

Harry took them with a grunt of appreciation. "Thanks Gin."

"No problem Harry. They're a bit dusty though."

"Eh, I'll live. I'm glad a dirty lens is the only problem I've got."

"Good point."

Hermione walked across the attic to help Ron, smiling at his under breath cursing. Hermione reached for a plain wooden box, reaching for the pictures when one suddenly caught her eye.

"Everyone…" she said quietly, not truly wanting to evasedrop into one's private matters but this was too important to pass up.

"Eh?" Harry said, coming over. "Its not that photo of Aunt Marge in a bikini is it?" he shuddered at the memory.

"No… its just…. Well… it's a picture of a quidditch player."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?" came the shocked reply from the others.

"No bloody way!" Ron said, eagerly peering over for a look. Harry and Ginny ambled over, crouching beside the other couple.

"Can't be." Harry said, reaching to thumb away some of the smudges, but it was indeed a picture of a young man playing quidditch. Harry leaned closer for another look. He looked young, roughly late teens… 16 or 17 years of age. He had mousy dark brown hair, and was reasonably handsome, almost like Sirius, but it wasn't him nor Regulus. He wore the silver and green slytherin uniform, and was waving to someone unknown out of the camera's reach. The young man was sitting on his broomstick, elevated about a dozen or so feet off the ground and laughing merrily at something someone had said to him. Offhandedly, Harry reached for the box that Hermione had found the quiddtich photo in.

"No bloody way!" Harry said, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny turning in shock at Harry echoing his best mate's earlier choice of words. "Look at this!"

Harry's hand dipped into the box and withdrew a badge, rusted from time but still with that glittering P shinning proudly. Harry turned the prefect badge over, and rubbed away the dust that had been covering it.

_Dursley, Vernon _

In small gold lettering. That name sent a shiver down Harry's spine. He removed his glasses and then cleaned them, and checked the name again. His uncle's name still gleamed unmistakably from the silver badge he'd held in his hand.

"Hermione," Harry said in a shaky tone. "Is there anything written on the back of that photograph?"

Hermione turned the picture over and blew gently on it to clear the dust away. Peering close she read aloud, " Whiskers before the house cup match being a overconfident arse again. Summer 78"

"Whiskers?" Ron asked, snatching the photo from Hermione and gazing at it. The young Vernon in the photo smiled confidently at the quartet, flying in zigzag positions around and even sticking out his tongue.

"Harry…. Does this mean your Uncle's… a…wizard?" Hermione ventured. "That's his prefect badge and that photo could possibly be his. Whiskers sounds like a animagus name actually."

"More like the name of a Marauder. Like Padfoot, or Prongs." Ginny put in.

"No." Harry said with a resolute shake of his head. "Can't be. Not Vernon. _Vernon_! Of all people! No!"

"It does sound really wonky. Doesn't it?" Ron offered, coming to Harry's defense. Ginny held both the prefect badge and photo in her hand, studying them intently.

"Ok… is it wrong of me to say he's actually really hot?"

"Oh god…. Ginny!" Harry pleaded. "I don't need you crushing after my Uncle here!"

"Oy… doesn't that mean your Aunt Muriel's a witch then?" Ron asked, pulling the box closer and pawing through its contents. "Ron!" Hermione chided. "What?"

"She died…." Harry remembered suddenly. " About.. three months ago, I think. Heart attack."

"I'm sorry Harry." Hermione said in a apologetic tone.

" I guess." Harry said distantly. "Its not like we were close."

"Blimey…" Ron had opened the box fully, dust settling on his jeans. The other three teenagers peered in after him. Slowly, Ron withdrew a cracked remembrall, a broken wand, and even more photos, some were bound with tape, others were laying free in the box. One photo had a small silver badge taped to it. Ginny reached over, taking the photo and gently pried the badge off from the back of it.

It showed the same mousy haired young man- Vernon presumably, arms around two young people, a young woman and a man with none other with Mad-Eye himself. Mad-Eye scowled at the intrusion, but the three young people looked happy.

_' Alice, Frank, and Vernon. Auror graduation 1980' _

"So," Ginny began looked at the newly gathered content. "Not only is your uncle a wizard, Harry he's an ex-Auror too? I mean… that's him with the Longbottom's and Mad-Eye before the attacks. That wand must be his too."

Hermione picked up the broken pieces gently, slowly piecing them together and looking at it for a moment.

"I'm no expert of wandlore." She began, "but from what I've got here… looks…about… 12 ½ inches… seems sturdy… possibly ash or chestnut wood. She removed the broken bits, studying the frayed bits of core. "Like I said, no expert but…. It looks like… unicorn hair or dragon heartstring… its too damaged for me beyond that. If we'd take it to Ollivander's I'm sure he'd know." Hermione finished, rather unhelpfully in Harry's opinion.

"Its actually 11 ½ inches, chestnut, springy with threstral hair in it actually."

The four teens turned horrified to see Vernon Dursley leaning against the wall by the stairs leading up to the attic. Ron's mouth hung agape, Ginny simply froze where she was crouched. It was ironically, Hermione who began to blush the deepest scarlet and was already working on a thousand differently apologies. It was only Harry who stood, silently crossed the room and stood before his Uncle with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You…. You…" he began with a dry mouth. Vernon nodded calmly.

"A wizard Harry?"

Harry dumbly nodded back.

"May I have your wand please?"

Harry woodenly reached into his pocket nad handed it to him. Vernon gave it a few test jabs into the air before aiming it at the scattered contents on the floor.

"Locomotor pictures." He said so softly that Harry wondered if he'd even spoken at all. The photos began to make their way to the box in timely fashion. Once everything had been put rightaways, he flicked the wand again.

"Accio box."

The cardboard box flew from Ron's startled fingers into Vernon's waiting ones. He peered in with a sad smile, and then handed Harry's wand back. He turned and began to head downstairs.

" Want to hear the full story, you'll have to come down."

The four teens couldn't have gotten to their feet fast enough and barreled downstairs after him.

*End Ch. 1*

_I do hope you enjoyed it. I plan on having the next chapter up in about a week or so. A review would be wonderful, thank you _


	2. Days of Summer

Hermione carefully lifted the steaming teapot gently from the stove with a dish towel, carefully balancing a plate of biscuits in her remaining free hand and putting both down on the table, while Harry and Ginny gathered cups and plates. Ron sat transfixed at the table across from Vernon, snatching a large peanut butter flavored biscuit and eagerly cramming it into his mouth.

"Wereyouananimagus?" he asked, spilling crumbs over the table. Hermione frowned, gently rapping him over the back of the head.

"Will you please _stop that _Ronald Weasley!"

"S'orry Mione!"

Vernon began pouring the tea as soon as Harry and Ginny had gathered the appropriate amount of kitchenware and the two teens immediately jointed their respective boyfriend and girlfriend leaving Vernon at the head of the table. Harry drank an unusually large bit of tea before focusing on his uncle once again to begin the discussion.

" How did you…become a wizard?"

Vernon chuckled. " Same as you did. Born with magic. Marge and I were muggle-borns."

"Were your parents… accepting?"

Vernon shook his head. " Marge and I never met our parents. We were raised by St. Mungo's orphanage ward. Marge turned out to be a squib in anycase."

"Damn!" Harry said, blinking owlishly through his glasses. Vernon chuckled at the newest family revelation.

"It didn't matter to her much. Couldn't see her wand waving anyways. Preferred the flash and glitz of muggle London. We were about eight years apart anyways. By the time I was old enough for my letter, Marge was grown and gone. I spent most holidays at Hogwarts anyways."

Hermione gently dunked her biscuit into her tea. "Vernon…. Mr. Dursley" She began cautiously "That quidditch picture…. That is you, isn't it?"

"Yes. As you can tell, I was placed in slytherin house. I made the house team in my 5th year and was a chaser until I graduated. I kept having run-ins with your dad."

"So you did know my parents." Harry said in a shocked tone. "All those horrible things you said about my mum and dad-!"

"Mate," Ron interjected. " Maybe we should wait for the whole story."

"When are you this level headed?" Harry grumped.

"Shhhh!" Ginny said. "Harry, let your Uncle explain."

Harry crossed his arms. "He'd better have a damn good reason."

Vernon nodded. "I knew Lily and James. I was a member of the Order of the Phoenix as well as an Auror once."

"YOU WERE IN THE ORDER?"

Vernon winced at the increase in volume of the four teenagers. "Petunia and Dudley may walk through the front door at any time." He warned.

"Sorry…." Ginny said apologetically. "But you _were _an Order member!"

" Yeah. I worked for both Dumbledore and the Ministry. Very tricky back then in those days."

"How come I didn't see you in that photograph Sirius showed me?" Harry questioned. "My parents and Alice and Frank… Sirius.. Peter… everyone was there."

"There were lots of members Harry." Vernon said. "Plus I was….. on my honeymoon anyways."

"Honeymoon?" Harry said with widened eyes. "You were married to someone before Aunt Petunia? Who?"

Vernon suddenly seemed very focused in his teacup. "Her name was Marlene." He admitted after a few moments. " She and I were recruited by Dumbledore just after graduation… lets see…. Summer of 78'…. And the two of us got married…. Let me think… September 6th that fall. She… she gave birth… our son…. Spring of 79'."

"Marlene… that name…. _oh! _ Marlene of the Mckinnon family!" Hermione said, recalling her days pouring over a History of Magic. "They were a prominent family killed by….. oh_I" _ her face darkened considerably at this.

"The Death Eaters…. They killed….. her….didn't they?" Harry asked weakly. "and your son?"

The four teens noticed how quiet Vernon had gotten. His lower lip seemed to quiver, hands tightening around the cup in his hands.

"I was away…. On an Order mission with Alice, James, and Moody. By the time I got back… the dark magic was over….. the house. They were gone. Our son… his name was David… he had just turned three… it was….late 81' by that time I guess. Never found the body."

"Mr. Dursley… would it help…..please? If you perhaps… started at the beginning?" Hermione asked gently, flicking her wand at the teapot so it began to reheat itself. Vernon nodded slowly, preparing himself.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. My memory's a tad hazy…but… well… it was 1978 like I said, and I had just turned seventeen and it was graduation day….."

_Hogwarts, 1978. Black Lake._

"_WE DID IT! FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE-DOM!"_

"_James will you BE quiet!"_

"_Sorry… still hungover Padfoot?"_

" _Shut up Potter."_

_ The four Marauders were laying peacefully by the edges of Black Lake, still in their graduation robes, each boy looking remarkably dashing and handsome. James reached into his pocket, pulling out the snitch he'd nabbed earlier, catching it in earnest before stuffing it back into his pocket when he heard footsteps behind him._

_ "Lily! Hey.. and….. oh…. Dursley." James drawled. _

_ "What the bloody hell Lily? A slytherin!" Sirius snorted. "Another one of Snivellus's toadies?"_

_ "Prat." Lily said with a mock scowl, sitting down next to the four boys and patting the grass so Vernon could join them. " Don't be such a toerag Potter. You know Vernon already."_

_ "Slytherin chaser mate," Remus put in. "Nearly kicked your arse in that last match."_

_ "I know who he is!" James growled. " What I want to know is, why is he slinking in here like the snake he-"_

_ "He defended me from Malfoy." Lily cut in coolly. "He called me a mudblood and Vernon here punched him in the face."_

_ "Woah! Seriosuly?" James sat upand Sirius looked interested. Peter, who had remained oddly quiet until that point, spoke up. "I did see him bleeding nose heading toward Pompfrey's office, whining about something… that Narcissa girl was by his side."_

_ "Ugh. I hate her." Sirius grumbled, dreading his dark family history at his school. James plucked a few strands of grass in his hand._

_ "Well.. .you defended Lily…." He began. " I guess that gives you a few ok points in my book."_

_ "See, told you Potter. Not all slytherins are bad. Look at Andromeda."_

_ "She's a girl… that's different." James pointed out._

_ "What about Bellatrix?" Peter asked._

_ Sirius shuddered. "Please, no. Bellatrix is insane, simple as that. Godric, I can't stand her."_

_ Vernon took out his wand, absentmindedly letting small puffs of colorful smoke emit from the tip of it. "So what are you guys going to do after this? I mean…. Bugger… we just graduated!"_

_ "I intend to become a world famous quidditch player!" James crowed. Lily and Remus subtly rolled their eyes._

_ "I plan on exploring the world." Sirius said with a smirk. _

_ "I haven't put much thought into what I want to do." Lily said with a concerned look._

_ "Does it matter? We have the rest of our bloody lives to do what we want." James said in a no nonsense tone._

_ " I'd like to be an Auror." Vernon said in a quiet voice. "I've got the marks for it, and that weird recruiting wizard… Moody I guess? He's not fond of slytherins, but he said I had what it takes."_

_ " A slytherin auror? Uhh… isn't that an oxymoron?" James sneered._

_ "Every time I think you've changed your fat head weighs you down." Lily remarked briskly._

_ "Sorry Evans…"_

_ "Uh-huh."_

_ "Does.. anyone think about the war? I mean… dark wizard attacks have been popping up a lot lately… remember last year?" Remus said. "I feel… like…. Something's about to change. Not for the better."_

_ "Don't be so overdramatic Mooney." Sirius said with a sigh. "Nothing's going to happen."_

_A/N: Yup, nothings going to happen Sirius. Ha. Not where I wanted to end this chapter, but I'll do better with chapter three. Shocked Vernon had a family before eh? Remember: Never found David's body. In the magical world anything's possible right? Please leave a review and I'll get chapter 3 up asap! :) _


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